1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an X-ray exposure report system for creating a report about an X-ray exposure such as an X-ray diagnosis, a medical apparatus, and an examination protocol distribution system for distributing an examination protocol to a client.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method using an X ray to diagnose or treat a patient is a useful method up to now. However, it is not possible to avoid being exposed to the X ray according to the diagnosis. Therefore, to know the exposure dose of the X ray with respect to the patient is an important problem in X-ray diagnosis therapy and it is also a matter of concern and interest to a user (doctor, examination engineer or the like).
An X-ray management apparatus that estimates and manages the X-ray exposure dose on the basis of an examination plan data has been known (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 4-295172).
On the other hand, there is a service in that examination information of a medical diagnosis apparatus such as an X-ray CT apparatus is distributed to a user as a report. In such a service, information to support the improvement of examination efficiency based on the examination information or information about the quality maintenance of the diagnosis apparatus is transmitted to the user.
A hospital for performing an X-ray diagnosis therapy must manage an X-ray exposure dose to perform a safe examination, check whether an exception value such as an X-ray exposure dose having an extraordinary large value is generated or not, and change the setting of a parameter such that an examination can be performed with a small X ray. In addition, if the exception value is generated, it is necessary that in order to prevent the exception value from regenerating, the hospital seek to find a cause of the generation of the exception value and improve the parameter.
However, since the service and the system to support the management of the X-ray exposure dose have not generally be established, it is very difficult for the user to manage the X-ray exposure dose.
As is generally known, the environment surrounding the hospital management gradually becomes severe. In particular, in a department of radiation for introducing an image diagnosis apparatus and supplying image information and diagnosis report information, it is a very important problem awaiting solution in the management to analyze apparatus performance information such as the state of operation and the state of utilization in the image diagnosis apparatus to improve the efficiency of the management in the department of radiation to effectively use the image diagnosis apparatus.
In addition, it is required to provide the environment which can sufficiently induce the performance of an expensive image diagnosis apparatus and use the image diagnosis apparatus in the safe and reliable state. Particularly, it goes without saying that the protocol used in the apparatus is an important element in obtaining a clinical image.
However, since the image diagnosis apparatus is used for various diseases or diagnosis fields such as a circulatory organ, a digestive organ, a cerebral surgery or the like, the required image type or the required number of images is very different. In addition, it is necessary that the images be supplied according to the clinical request. Specifically, it is required that the examination protocol be supplied according to the task or problem of each user.
On the other hand, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-271748, there is a suggestion that in order to manage the exposure dose, a hospital side discovers the protocol or examination having an extraordinary large exposure dose to use it in improving the work.
Since the radiation management report, the apparatus utilization situation report, the protocol downloading, the exposure dose and the image quality simulation system are separated from each other, the protocol selection or the exposure dose/the image quality simulation cannot be made so as to correspond to the apparatus utilization situation of the user or the problem of the radiation management. As a result, it is difficult for the user to use it and the user must input the protocol information many times. In addition, it is not possible to provide a solving means (protocol download selection) with respect to the problems through the user sites.